https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-882-Lance-Still-Couldn-t-Escape-Her-Part-2-/12937224/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-883-Loqi-s-Longest-Two-Hours-Part-2-/12937230/
Chapter 883: Loqi's Longest Two Hours (Part 1)
Chapter 883: Loqi's Longest Two Hours (Part 1)
The main hall of the Echirite Opera House.
The audience seats were almost full, and nearly everyone in the hall was chatting excitedly with their friends.
"Today, Huobao's makeup and styling will be especially stunning!"
"I think so too, but it's mainly because of her good temperament."
Antanas and Sinora had accompanied Huberian here.
As they reminisced about the rehearsals, they eagerly anticipated Huobao's grand entrance.
Pranay glanced at the curtain on the stage, then took off his glasses and began to put them away, preparing for the show.
In addition to today's Saturday performance, there would be another show on Sunday. However, for viewers like them who had already seen the internal rehearsals, it felt like the second show was already underway.
"Antanas, Sinora, don't spoil it!"
Ifatiya, sitting in the front row, turned around and said to her two friends.
She and Talia had been holding back from watching the troupe's rehearsals at the Echirite Opera House, all for the surprise they would experience during the official performance.
"Okay, Ifa, don't worry."
Antanas and Sinora nodded repeatedly.
They were concerned that Ifatiya might cry her eyes out later.
There might be some heartwarming moments in the opera that would make Ifa smile, but by the end, she would likely realize that the half-maiden was a ghost, and she wouldn't be able to laugh from start to finish like she did during the Gray Princess Chapter.
Just thinking about how Ifa might react later made them feel a bit sad. Ifa was the youngest among them, and they all took extra care of Ifatiya. They couldn't bear to see little Ifa cry.
"By the way, let's have dinner at the Duke's Mansion tonight. You two haven't stayed over at the Duke's for a long time, and Huobao really wants to have a sleepover party with you."
Ifatiya turned around, leaning back in her chair, and said to Antanas and Sinora in the back row.
She had already planned a celebration banquet to commemorate the success of the performance.
During the time when Talia was not in Echirite, Sinora and Antanas had taken turns protecting Huberian. Now that the danger had passed, the two of them no longer spent every waking moment with Huberian, which made her feel a bit lonely.
"No problem, but we both have work tomorrow morning, so we need to get back to Cat Boss Restaurant early."
Sinora and Antanas looked at each other and agreed.
However, they declined to stay at the Duke's Mansion.
"Then let's meet for dinner later! Good luck with your work!"
Ifatiya said with a smile.
"Okay."
Antanas and Sinora breathed a sigh of relief when Ifatiya didn't insist on them staying at the Duke's Mansion.
"By the way, shouldn't we stay with Huobao? It's been a long time since we lived together, and she might feel like we're excluding her."
Antanas quietly suggested to Sinora.
"No, if I stay with Huberian again, I feel like I'll never get married..."
Sinora covered her face and half-cried to herself.
"I understand."
Antanas nodded vigorously, not bringing up the idea again.
She had experienced it herself.
"Armis isn't here."
Sinora remembered that during the rehearsals, the Ice Maiden had always been by their side, but today, on the day of the actual performance, she was nowhere to be found.
"Armis seems to have specifically requested a VIP box seat today."
Antanas turned around, looking in the direction of the upper-level box seats.
The view opened up, revealing the other side of the majestic opera hall—three-story-high golden box seats rising along the walls.
Thousands of dark velvet seats with golden edges were filled with enthusiastic spectators, all in perfect order.
She didn't know which specific box the Ice Maiden was in today.
The box seat tickets might not be as expensive as the VIP tickets for the front and second rows that they currently had, but Armis had chosen this option.
Perhaps Armis had someone she wanted to watch the performance with.
In addition to the four great demons who had watched the rehearsals at the Echirite Opera House, Toriadus was also behind the curtain, directing the music.
Abigail not only hadn't forgiven Toriadus for the two million pounds, but she also remembered his unreliability from the last performance when he couldn't find any demons. This time, she locked him in the theater, forcing him to work diligently, and he couldn't go anywhere in the morning.
Toriadus seemed to have missed something again. When he arrived at the theater at noon, he looked particularly pained.
"Abigail, why are you so harsh on Toriadus? It's as if he owes you money."
Antanas couldn't help but ask Abigail in the front row.
"He does owe me money."
Abigail turned around and replied matter-of-factly.
She was very polite to the other great demon comrades.
"You see, you're very friendly to us, but you're particularly harsh on Toriadus. Even if he pays back the money, you probably still dislike him, and it's not entirely dislike..."
Antanas struggled to express herself, but she shared her feelings.
Abigail seemed to carry the proud resentment of someone who had once been abandoned by Toriadus—Toriadus had gotten involved with the Bishop of Destruction and then left for the Northern Continent alone...
"Anyway, I will never forgive him."
Abigail simply said and turned back around.
Even though their dimensional branch no longer had any worries, it didn't help. She had no intention of making peace with Toriadus.
Antanas was about to say something, as she had long been curious about Abigail and Toriadus's past, but Pranay gestured for her to stop, preventing her from asking further.
"The one who tied the bell must untie it."
Pranay shook her head at Antanas, speaking up for her demon friend.
When the demon realm was still around, General Yabo's special forces, led by the intelligence officer, had to infiltrate various places and impersonate humans from different organizations. General Yabo himself was a top-notch expert in concealment.
Toria, who had never been imprisoned and was skilled in concealment and deception, also possessed numerous talents for surviving in human society. After a hundred years of blending in, he was perhaps the most human-like among the few surviving great demons, and likely the first to understand human nature.
It was probably because Toria knew where he stood with his conscience that he had been getting by all this time.
Abigail, on the other hand, had a strong and unwavering personality.
She would never forgive Toria until he admitted his mistake.
The three great demons chatted in the back row.
In the front row, the God of War also eagerly awaited the curtain to rise on the stage.
"I'm so excited, meow."
The twelfth Divine General, Bianca of Cat's Eye Stone, wore a light dress, and her cat ears stood straight up on her head.
If not for the fact that her cat ears moved, the visiting noble would have thought they were just cat ear decorations on her head.
Beastmen were indeed quite rare in the Herton Kingdom.
"Bianca, I told you there's no need to disguise yourself. They've never seen you fight, so they won't associate you with the Twelve Divine Generals."
The ninth Divine General, Ryan of Purple Crystal, sat beside her and spoke.
Bianca was the most harmless-looking member of the Twelve Divine Generals, and even without her scout attire, she didn't seem very formidable.
"You're right, as expected of the Marquis," Bianca praised Ryan.
Ryan, the head of the ancient Lion Griffon Marquis family of the Crethe Empire, was the only genuine noble among the three. He was the most experienced in international affairs and traveling abroad.
The second strongest Divine General, Salon of Black Obsidian, usually focused solely on sword cultivation and rarely paid attention to foreign matters. He had accompanied them but hardly said a word.
"Don't mention it," Ryan said, knowing that Bianca was intentionally addressing him as Marquis to tease him.
In the present Crethe Empire, the balance between commoners and nobles had become an issue that needed to be addressed head-on. It couldn't be swept under the rug or transferred like during the reign of Saint Baldor.
After Loren Crane returned, in addition to post-war affairs on the international stage, there were also domestic problems to deal with. It was unclear when they would be resolved, and after the one-year term ended, the fourth Divine General, Yaspell, might ask Loren to renew his contract for another year.
"This is the first time I've heard of an emperor with such a contractual system, meow."
Cat Boss spoke to Bianca, who was holding it.
The emperor wanted to flee to a neighboring country, and the ministers were constantly on guard against the emperor's potential resignation.
It was as if the emperor was a player in a club.
Cat Boss had intended to stay with Ifatiya, but as soon as Bianca found it, she dragged it over to Abigail.
Cat Boss figured that it didn't matter where it stayed, so it remained with Bianca.
"Loren never chased after the crown; it was the crown that pursued him, meow," Bianca said to the little black cat.
Just hearing the little black cat's speech mannerisms made her feel a sense of familiarity, and she occasionally suspected that the cat was a young member of the Catkin race.
However, she could transform into a cat herself, as it was not a difficult skill for a Catkin scout. If she had the chance to play with the little black cat later, she could transform and play with it.
"Eura also wanted to come, but the international situation is still unstable, and we have the important task of accompanying the emperor. We'll bring her and Elsa next time."
Marquis Ryan, sitting beside them, sighed.
His sister, Eura, wanted to come to Echire even more than he did.
Even though they appeared relaxed, they were not on a paid vacation but were guarding the emperor.
It was only because Loren had his own arrangements for today that they had an extra day off.
"How is Elsa doing?"
Abigail looked over at them and asked Ryan.
She considered Elsa, the sister of her junior disciple, as her own sister. During her stay in Echire, Elsa was the only person she worried about back in Brillada.
"Don't worry, when you and Toria are not around, the Roland family will take good care of her. She's like our own daughter, just like Eura," Ryan assured her confidently.
Elsa now knew that her brother had to work in the empire's protection agency, conducting top-secret military energy research, and would have few opportunities to see family in the future. He had already dedicated his life to the empire.
Although they weren't sure if this lie was correct, it was a decision they had made together.
They believed that at Elsa's age, she needed emotional protection, and even if it meant weaving a beautiful dream for her, they wanted her to grow up happily and healthily.
"Then we're counting on you."
Abigail nodded with relief, a hint of sadness in her eyes.
Perhaps this was what Landry would have wanted, which was why he often prayed to the Goddess of Fate, unafraid of punishment, just wishing for his sister's safety.
However, with the protection of the dimensional branch, the friendship of the ninth Divine General's Roland family, and being considered a disciple of the Wolf Witch by the sixth Divine General, Violet of Water Jade, Elsa was virtually a saint-like figure in the Crethe Empire.
"Maybe Elsa and Eura are watching the broadcast in Brillada right now," Bianca remembered that the Truth Voice Broadcasting Company there should have obtained the broadcasting rights.
"They definitely will," Ryan said with a smile.
Eura couldn't stop praising the Gray Princess chapter, and she was so excited that night.
He turned to look at the second Divine General, Salon, sitting next to him.
Although Salon didn't say a word, it was clear that he was very focused.
Even during the Twelve Divine Generals' blessing ceremony on National Day, Salon hadn't shown such enthusiasm. His hands were slightly trembling, and his heart was pounding.
Meow.
Cat Boss glanced backstage, looking slightly worried.
He was actually very concerned about Lance's condition today.
In the morning, it seemed like he was hallucinating.
No one knew how close Lance was to his limit, and perhaps another twist would completely crush him.
Then, Cat Boss turned back.
Seeing that the biggest variable, Talia, had returned to the audience, he felt much more at ease.
The one most likely to mess with Lance's mindset wasn't the hardworking Great Poetess, but Tata, who relied purely on talent.
"Don't worry, this performance will definitely be a success," Abigail said, glancing at the little black cat as if she had read its thoughts, speaking to herself.
Due to her conscience and professional ethics, she found it hard to acknowledge the coincidental success of the previous Gray Princess Chapter performance.
For her, a success that couldn't be replicated had nothing to do with her as a director.
This time, she would present the best performance to the audience, showcasing the actors' true abilities.
Hmm.
As the lights in the theater changed and the prelude music played.
The audience whispered to each other, and the entire theater fell silent, all eyes on the curtain.
The background music on stage began softly, the lights slowly brightened, and the curtain slowly rose.
...
Backstage of the main stage at the Echire Opera House.
The space was dimly lit, with props and decorations stacked in the corners, and only a few small lamps emitting a faint glow.
On the fireproof carpeted floor, people in work clothes hurried back and forth.
As the echoes from the stage faded, under Toriadus' direction, the staff used short-range walkie-talkies to confirm that the stage was ready, then nodded to the actors.
In an instant, the orchestra played the prelude, and a beam of light hit the edge of the curtain, illuminating the steps.
Even backstage, the sounds from the stage could be heard.
This was just the opening act, setting the stage for the era a hundred years ago during the Holy War, immersing the audience in the grand and tumultuous atmosphere of the Northern Continent.
The lead actors, Lance and Huberian, were dressed in their finest, ignoring the bustling staff around them, and waited for the first act to begin.
"Huberian, let's do our best together later," Lance said as he walked towards the curtain, looking at Huberian with a sense of relief in his eyes.
Although Huberian arrived later than he had expected, she was still on time.
"No problem," Huberian said confidently, joining him.
Soon, the stage would go dark, and when the lights came back on, the first act would begin. She just needed to sit in the governor's room chair and have the opening dialogue with the governor.
Such a simple task, she wouldn't make a mistake.
The darkness on stage lasted for a long time after the opening act.
Only the deliberately amplified heartbeat echoed in the theater.
The lights changed, and the first act began.
The scene was a deep gray, demon-style mansion bedroom in a noble's residence, with a deep red velvet sofa and chair placed by the fireplace, where the crackling of firewood and sparks could be heard.
The spotlight fell on the two of them.
"Why are you sitting in my room, half-demon miss?" the Demon Lord Governor asked, gazing at the silhouette in the vintage leather armchair with a hint of coldness and displeasure.
"Because I'm your fiancee," the half-maiden noble lady replied, resting her hands on her knees and tilting her chin proudly.
She acted as if she had been to this room many times, showing no signs of being a guest, and even treating it as her own home.
"..."
Lance hesitated for half a second.
He felt that Huberian's performance today was a bit off.
She seemed much more cheerful than during rehearsals.
But soon, Lance dismissed his doubts. Perhaps Huobao was in a good mood today, so the performance changed, and she was really into her role.
"What do I have to do to get you to stop bothering me?" the Demon Lord Governor asked, covering his forehead and knocking on the door.
He wanted to call the butler to ask the demon lady to leave.
In the audience.
"Not bad," someone said.
"The male lead's acting has been consistently good."
"The female lead's acting is not bad either. Is she the same one from the Gray Witch Chapter?"
"It looks like they changed the actress. This one has a more youthful feel."
The half-second pause earlier seemed to reflect the butler's speechless reaction to the half-maiden lady's behavior, yet he maintained his politeness, causing the audience to immediately praise the governor's impeccable acting at the start of the play.
"Young Master, did you call for me?" the butler asked, entering the room after knocking on the door, as the governor opened the door.
Lance continued his performance.
"Yes, could you please ask this half-demon lady to go home?" he said, pointing towards the chair and instructing the butler.
"..."
The butler followed the governor's finger and looked at the vintage leather armchair.
He paused for a moment.
Before the butler could look back at the governor, he widened his eyes and stared at the figure in the armchair.
The half-maiden lady in the chair had picked up the snacks on the table and started eating.
Wow.
You're a ghost.
How can you eat!
The Brillada troupe actor playing the butler was screaming in his mind.
"..."
Lance stared at the butler's exaggerated acting, wondering why he was making such a big deal, and turned his head in confusion.
Until he saw Huberian casually eating the snacks.
""
Lance froze.
Sweat broke out on his forehead, and his mind raced.
The sense of deja vu made him feel like he was back on the Brillada Opera House stage a few months ago, where he had also been at a loss on stage.
Could this be some kind of prank reality show?
(End of Chapter)
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